House of Gonzaga

The House of Gonzaga was an Italian princely family that ruled Mantua from 1328 to 1708. In 1328, the family overthrew the House of Bonacolsi and seized power in Mantua, and the family produced a saint, twelve cardinals of the Catholic Church, and fourteen bishops. Francesco II Gonzaga distinguished himself as a condottiero during the Italian Wars, and his son Federico II Gonzaga became Duke of Mantua in 1530. The family ruled Mantua until 1708 and Guastalla until 1746, when the family became extinct.